The Obama girls’ new pet, the cuter-than-cute six-month-old Portuguese water dog Bo with the lei around his neck, is a celeb now. This is his story.

One day last August, a pretty Portie named Penny was led into the boudoir at Julie Parker’s kennel in Millcreek Township, outside Erie, Pennsylvania.

Watson, a studly Portie with a history of siring champion dogs, took to her immediately. “There was a little kissy kissy, huggy huggy, licking of the ears,” Parker recalled.

While Parker sipped a Budweiser and held Penny’s leash, Watson did what stud dogs do. Was it love? “I don’t think Watson cares,” said Parker.

After her one-night stand, Penny went home to Texas, where she lives with Art and Martha Stern on a 10-acre ranchette in Boyd, outside Dallas. The Sterns run Amigo Portuguese Water Dogs — the place where Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy got his Porties.

Penny gave birth on October 9. There were 10 puppies in the litter. The Sterns, fans of then-candidate Barack Obama, called it the Hope and Change Litter.

Porties typically sell for as much as $2,000 apiece, and the pups went fast. Sen Kennedy took (another) one, one went to Alexandria, one to Dallas, several to Austin and several more to Houston.

The one destined ultimately to be the First Puppy, was placed with a woman in Washington, who named him Charlie. Alas, it wasn’t to be a happy home.

The woman — who has not been identified — has an older Portie, Martha Stern said, and Charlie got on to his nerves. Early in March, the woman decided Charlie needed to find a new home.

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